Winding mechanism

ABSTRACT

A winding mechanism for a spring-driven device such as a music box unit has an axially movable winding gear that is spring biased to move out of a meshed relation with a driving gear for the driven device. The winding gear is also rotationally biased, and a pull string is wound coaxially with the winding gear. A guide pulley for the pull string is arranged so that pulling on the string moves the winding gear into meshed relation with the drive gear then turns the winding gear for advancing the drive gear. Release of the pull string lets the winding gear move out of mesh with the drive gear to recoil the pull string for another actuation. A ring gear meshed with a gear coaxial with the drive gear carries a lug limiting the rotational movement of the drive gear.

United States Patent Inventor James A. Rodgers Hamburg, N.Y. Appl. No. 19,740 Filed Mar. 16,1970 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Assignee The Quaker Oats Company WINDING MECHANISM 18 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 185/39, 185/43, 185/45, 84/95 Int. Cl F03g 1/08 Field of Search 185/39, 43, 45, 37, DIG. 1; 84/95 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS,

8/1950 Mueller et a1 2,659,454 11/1953 Bandli 2,993,689 7/1961 Johansson.....

Primary Examiner-Edgar W. Geoghegan Attorney-Cumpston, Shaw & Stephens ABSTRACT: A winding mechanism for a spring-driven device such as a music box unit has an axially movable winding gear that is spring biased to move out of a meshed relation with a driving gear for the driven device. The winding gear is also rotationally biased, and a pull string is wound coaxially with the winding gear. A guide pulley for the pull string is arranged so that pulling on the string moves the winding gear into meshed relation with the drive gear then turns the winding gear for advancing the drive gear. Release of the pull string lets the winding gear move out of mesh with the drive gear to recoil the pull string for another actuation. A ring gear meshed with a gear coaxial with the drive gear carries a lug limiting the rotationalmovement of the drive gear PATENTEI] OCT 5 |97| FIG- 4 INVEN'IY )R. JAMES A- RODGERS A TTORNE YS 1 WINDING MECHANISM THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT Pull-string operated winding mechanisms have been used for spring-driven devices such as music box units and toy phonographs. Such devices are generally wound up as the string is pulled and rewind the string as the device plays out. There are'several disadvantages in using such mechanisms in crib" toys for small children. The string is hard for small children to pull, and it is possible for a small child to get his fingers wound in the string and be bound to the toy. I

The invention includes the discovery of these disadvantages and the conception of anew winding mechanism structure to avoid them. The invention aims at a pull-string winding mechanism that is easy to pull,'fully retracts the pull string quickly after each pull, and'alloys several actuations of the pull string in quick succession without overwinding the device. The invention also aims at simplicity, economy, ruggedness, and durability. A i

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive mechanism winds a spring-driven device having a drive gear rotatable with the device. The mechanism includes a winding gear axially movable between meshed and unmeshed relation with the drive gear. A first spring biases the winding gear toward the unmeshed relation, and a second spring rotationally biases the winding gear; and a guide for the pull string is located on the drive gear side of the winding gear so that pulling the string moves the winding gear against the bias of the first string into mesh with the drive gear then turns the winding gear against the bias of the second string to ad vance the drive gear. 1

DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the mechanism of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the mechanism of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The illustrated embodiment of the inventive winding mechanism is used to winda spring-driven music box unit that is generally known. The invention can also be used to wind many other devices as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

A mounting plate 11 supports music box unit 10 on one side, and theinventive winding mechanism on the other side. The main drive shaft 12 for music box unit 10 extends through mounting plate 11 and carries a drive gear 13 and a coaxial gear 14 that turn with shaft 12 as music box unit 10 is wound and played. I

Winding gear 15 is arranged for advancing drive gear 13, and is axially movable between an unmesh'ed relation with drive gear l3, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and a meshed relation with drive gear 13, as illustrated in FIG. 2. To accomplish this, winding gear 15 is contained in a cup-shaped housing 16 supported loosely on the front surface of mounting plate '11. Housing 16 has a projection 17 extending through a slot 18 in mounting plate I], and a coil spring 19 is secured to projection 17 on housing 16 and fixed projection 20 on mounting plate 11. This biases housing 16 and winding gear 15 toward the position illustrated in FIG. 1 where winding gear 15 is in unmeshed relation with drive gear 13.

A flange 21 extends radially outward from winding gear 15 to the inside periphery of cup-shaped housing 16, and a drum 22 under flange 21 is spaced from the inside surface of housing 16. A pull string is wound around drum 22 at a terminal knot 23. Inside of drum 22, a helical spring 24 is coiled with the ends of spring 24 connected respectively to the rotationally fixed housing 16 and the rotatable element including gear 15, flange 21 and drum 22 so as to bias gear 15 clockwise.

Pull string 25 passes between a fixed guide pin 26 and a rotatable pulley 27, and a ball 28 is fastened to the end of pull string 25. Guide pulley 27 is located toward the drive gear side of winding gear 15. v v

A ring gear 29-mesheswith coaxial gear 14 and carries a projection 30 that engages an abutment stop 31 to limit the rotational turning of drive gear 13 in either direction. Ring gear 29 is proportioned relative to coaxial gear 14 so that drive gear 13 turns more than one complete revolution between limit positions. l I'rioperation, beginning with a'completely' rundown music box unit and with the winding mechanism at rest as illustrated in FIG. 1, ball 28 is pulled downward. This draws pull string 25 over pulley 27, and because of the-positioning of .guide pulley 27 on the drive gear side of winding gear 15 such pulling tensions spring 19 and moves housing 16 axially tobring winding gear 15 into mesh with drive gear l3'as illustrated in FIG. 2. Continued downward pulling on ball 28 unwinds pull string 25 from drum 22 against the rotational bias of spring. 24 to turn gear 15 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 to advance drive gear. 13. If ball 28 is released, spring 19 moves housing 16 to draw winding gear 15 out of meshed relation with drive gear 13, and spring 24 rewinds pull string 25 on drum 22 to retract ball 28 and pull string 25 quickly to the position illustrated in FIG. 1. This keeps string 25 normally retracted for safety. Also the gear ratio between winding gear 15 and drive gear 13 is such as to make pulling on ball 28 relatively light and easy for a small child. Such advancement of drive gear 13 is illustrated in FIG. .2, and an acconipanying advance of ring gear 29 moves lug 30 clockwise as illustrated away from stop 31.

Pull string 25 can be actuated several times in rapid succession before lug 30 is advanced clockwise nearly a complete revolution to bring lug 30 back into engagement with stop 31. At this point, the music box unit 10 is fully wound. and no further pulling on string 25 is possible. As music box unit l0 unwinds, ring gear 29 moves counterclockwise back to the position shown in F IG. 1.

The child gets the added satisfaction of being able to pull theball 28 and string 25 several times and fairly frequently during winding and playing of the music box unit 10. Also the pull required isrelatively light and easy and the ball and string snap quickly back to a retracted position after each pull.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate the many circumstances in which the invention can be used,and will understand how to adapt the invention to various devices.

I'claim: l l. A winding mechanism for a spring-driven device, said mechanism comprising:

a. a drive gear rotatable with said device; b. a winding gear axially movable between meshed and unmeshed relation with said drive gear; c. .a first spring biasing said winding gear toward said unmeshed relation; 7 cl. a second spring rotationally biasing said winding gear; e. a pull string wound coaxially with said winding gear; and f. a guide for said pull string, said guide being located toward the drive gear side of said winding gear so that pulling on said string moves said winding gear against the bias of said first spring to mesh said winding gear with said drive gear then turns said winding gear against the bias of said second spring to advance said drive gear. 2. The winding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said guide is a pulley.

3. The winding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said driven device is a music box unit.

4. The winding mechanism of claim 3 including a mounting plate having said music box unit secured on one side and said winding mechanism secured on the other side.

5. The winding mechanism of claim 1 including a housing around said winding gear, said first spring engaging said hous- 6. The winding mechanism of claim 5 wherein said winding gear includes a drum for winding said pull string, and said second spring is coiled inside said drum.

7. The winding mechanism of claim 6 wherein the ends of said second spring are connected respectively to said winding gear and said housing.

8. The winding mechanism of claim 1 including means limiting the rotation of said drive gear.

9. The winding mechanism of claim 8 wherein said limit means includes a gear coaxial with said drive gear, a ring gear meshed with said coaxial gear, and a lug on said ring gear arranged to engage a stop for limiting the forward and reverse rotation of said drive gear.

10. The winding mechanism of claim 9 wherein said coaxial gear and said ring gear are proportioned so that said drive gear moves more than one revolution between limit positions.

11. The winding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said winding gear is arranged so that upon release of said pull string, said first spring moves said winding gear toward said unmeshed relation, and said second spring rewinds said pull string so that several quickly successive actuations of said pull string can be applied to advance said drive gear.

12. The winding mechanism of claim 11 including means for limiting the rotation of said drive gear.

13. The winding mechanism of claim 12 wherein said limit means comprises a gear coaxial with said drive gear, a ring gear meshed with said coaxial gear, and a projection on said ring gear arranged to engage an abutment to limit rotation of said drive gear.

14. The winding mechanism of claim 13 wherein said coaxial gear and said ring gear are proportioned so that said drive gear moves more than one revolution between limit positions.

15. The winding mechanism of claim 13 wherein said winding gear includes a housing, said first spring engages said housing, and said winding gear and said second spring are arranged within said housing.

16. The winding mechanism of claim 15 wherein said winding gear includes a drum for said pull string, and said second spring is coiled inside said drum and connected between said winding gear and said housing.

17. The winding mechanism of claim 16 wherein said guide is a pulley, and said coaxial gear and said ring gear are proportioned to allow said drive gear to turn more than one revolution between limit positions.

18. The winding mechanism of claim 17 wherein said driven device is a music box unit arranged one side of a mounting plate, and said winding mechanism is arranged on the other side of said mounting plate. 

1. A winding mechanism for a spring-driven device, said mechanism comprising: a. a drive gear rotatable with said device; b. a winding gear axially movable between meshed and unmeshed relation with said drive gear; c. a first spring biasing said winding gear toward said unmeshed relation; d. a second spring rotationally biasing said winding gear; e. a pull string wound coaxially with said winding gear; and f. a guide for said pull string, said guide being located toward the drive gear side of said winding gear so that pulling on said string moves said winding gear against the bias of said first spring to mesh said winding gear with said drive gear then turns said winding gear against the bias of said second spring to advance said drive gear.
 2. The winding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said guide is a pulley.
 3. The winding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said driven device is a music box unit.
 4. The winding mechanism of claim 3 including a mounting plate having said music box unit secured on one side and said winding mechanism secured on the other side.
 5. The winding mechanism of claim 1 including a housing around said winding gear, said first spring engaging said housing.
 6. The winding mechanism of claim 5 wherein said winding gear includes a drum for winding said pull string, and said second spring is coiled inside said drum.
 7. The winding mechanism of claim 6 wherein the ends of said second spring are connected respectively to said winding gear and said housing.
 8. The winding mechanism of claim 1 including means limiting the rotation of said drive gear.
 9. The winding mechanism of claim 8 wherein said limit means includes a gear coaxial with said drive gear, a ring gear meshed with said coaxial gear, and a lug on said ring gear arranged to engage a stop for limiting the forward and reverse rotation of said drive gear.
 10. The winding mechanism of claim 9 wherein said coaxial gear and said ring gear are proportioned so that said drive gear moves more than one revolution between limit positions.
 11. The winding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said winding gear is arranged so that upon release of said pull string, said first spring moves said winding gear toward said unmeshed relation, and said second spring rewinds said pull string so that several quickly successive actuations of said pull string can be applied to advance said drive gear.
 12. The winding mechanism of claim 11 including means for limiting the rotation of said drive gear.
 13. The winding mechanism of claim 12 wherein said limit means comprises a gear coaxial with said drive gear, a ring gear meshed with said coaxial gear, and a projection on said ring gear arranged to engage an abutment to limit rotation of said drive gear.
 14. The winding mechanism of claim 13 wherein said coaxial gear and said ring gear are proportioned so that said drive gear moves more than one revolution between limit positions.
 15. The winding mechanism of claim 13 wherein said winding gear includes a housing, said first spring engages said housing, and said winding gear and said second spring are arranged within said housing.
 16. The winding mechanism of claim 15 wherein said winding gear includes a drum for said pull string, and said second spring is coiled inside said drum and connected between said winding gear and said housing.
 17. The winding mechanism of claim 16 wherein said guide is a pulley, and said coaxial gear and said ring gear are proportioned to allow said drive gear to turn more than one revolution between limit positions.
 18. The winding mechanism of claim 17 wherein said driven device is a music box unit arranged one side of a mounting plate, and said winding mechanism is arranged on the other side of said mounting plate. 